A group of over 1000 scientists who are elected members of
the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has released a
letter expressing concern with the Trump Administration’s handling of research
funding. The letter states, in part:
If our country’s research enterprise is dismantled, we will
lose our scientific edge. Other countries will lead the development of novel
disease treatments, clean energy sources, and the new technologies of the
future. Their populations will be healthier, and their economies will surpass
us in business, defense, intelligence gathering, and monitoring our planet’s
health. The damage to our nation’s scientific enterprise could take decades to
reverse.
The AUTM, the Association of University Technology Managers,
noted that the Great Recession would have been much worse if it had not been
for university technology transfer. Harming the engine that’s been
creating innovation and new business may not be such a good thing right
now. Besides pushing us into a recession, I do wonder what the political
fallout will be of the increased removal of research funding from universities. Not
only do universities spin-off companies to varying degrees of success but
there are universities located in many, many congressional districts--and those
universities are major regional employers. The full letter is available, here. The
Scientific American discusses the full letter, here.
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